It was 2014 when I first experienced the grandeur of the Himalayas while on an adventure camp. I was oblivious to the fact that it was going to be one of the most life-changing experiences, moulding my life in a whole different way. But why it is such a big deal? How one can have such strong feelings for this topography? The heights should not be our focus, because it overshadows something more profound. The splendour and magnanimity of these mountains are beyond words.
A Vedic sage’s way of praising the Himalayas could not be more apt, “As the sun dries the morning dew, so does the mere sight of the Himalayas dissipates the sins of man.”
As the sky was being painted crimson, the Shivalik Hills unfolded itself in front of me. And that memory of the Himalayan landscape is etched in my mind for eternity. The aroma of the hills and the cold breeze altogether was something different. After a roller-coaster journey of three-and-a-half hours on a bus from Shimla, we reached our destination, Hatkoti, a small town in Himachal Pradesh on the right bank of the Pabbar river, famous for the temple of Mata Hateshwari. According to folklore, the Pandavas stayed in that place during their exile and there are five temples dedicated to them on the premises. It is the perfect blend of natural beauty and spirituality — everything in the crucible of the Himalayas.
We trekked in the much deeper part of the forest for more than five hours to reach our next destination. It was an adventurous trail amid the forest, along a shaded ridge, through an apple orchard, with small waterfalls, and through the valley covered with small grass and flowers. My legs were complaining, but my mind was soaked in the beauty and the experience of that terrain. After reaching Giri Ganga, I was spellbound. Giri Ganga is a rivulet, and on both sides, there was open space covered with grass and beyond that, it was a forest, a quintessential Himalayan topography.
Weather at that altitude in October was chilly. After a sudden afternoon shower, the mercury dropped further and the next dawn everything was snowy. During the night, the landscape came alive with a different ambience. On the full moon day, the grass blades and leaves were glowing like silver. The silhouette created by the moonlight opened up a new dimension of beauty that looked like a dream worthy of infinite existence. We did all kind of adventure sports stuff such as rappelling, which pushed my limits and made me understand that one can be strong only if one pushes one’s limit.
But the best part was yet to come, on our last day of camping. We woke up early in the morning and left after breakfast. We went further deep inside the forest and followed a narrow and treacherous trail heading towards the Kuppar Bugyal. Something is enchanting about the wilderness of the Himalayas. Deodar, pines and hundreds of other types of plants and trees, the chirping of birds, sunshine playing with leaves, and sounds of the small streams — when all these blend, it is the most powerful intoxicant one can have. To be in the lap of the Himalayas.
Last moments before the Kuppar Peak, for the first time, I got the glimpse of snow-clad mountains peeping from the canopy of deodars. First time in my life, I was overwhelmed with joy and amusement. And finally, we could see the horizon, and the sight in front of my eyes was irresistible, and feelings were inexplicable. I just soaked myself in at that moment. It was like a string of pearls in the blue sky.
Moving from east to west, the Himalayas bend towards the north and continues in the north-west direction. Everything was visible in front of the eye. The body was exhausted after that arduous journey, my knees were complaining, but I choose to ignore that. I had to seize the moment before it lapses.
This whole rendezvous with the Himalayas taught me a substantial lesson in life. Life is a journey and you need to enjoy the moment, you can’t miss the moment for past or future. Nothing comes free in life, one has to give a significant amount of effort to walk uphill and reach the destination. But sadly, global warming is destroying the world’s second largest ice storage. Glaciers are shrinking and with that, we are losing its grandeur. We are losing the Himalayas. Do your part to protect and preserve. Because we owe this to ourselves.
Don’t postpone. The Himalayas await you!
